Technical Education in Agriculture. 105 
somewhat difficult subject to deal with. The qualifications of a 
good farm labourer need to be much more varied than those of 
a man who obtains his livelihood by managing a machine or 
hewing coal. Any attempt that is made to help the labourer 
must primarily be of such a nature as will render him contented 
with his country home, and will disabuse his mind of the idea 
that by going away to the town he is bound to benefit his posi- 
tion. A first step in this direction is to improve his knowledge 
of those little industries on which much of his comfort depends. 
This is quite a different thing, however, from advocating what 
might be called a fine education, for that would only discourage 
the labourer, and make him like the man of whom it was 
written — 
lie could not sow nor reap, 
He was not wise at all, 
For though full many arts he knew, 
He badly knew them all. 
Agricultural Sides of Colleges. 
Quite recently, considerable interest has been awakened in 
the subject of agricultural education, and we are already becom- 
ing familiar with the phrase "the agricultural side of University 
Colleges." In many of our great public schools there is what is 
termed " the modern side." This " modern side " was unknown 
in the earlier years of the century, and hitherto the " agricultural 
side "has been unheard of in connection with University Colleges. 
This will be the case no longer. In various towns in England 
and Wales — in Leeds, Newcastle, Bangor — " agricultural sides " 
are being established, and other provincial colleges are preparing 
to follow suit. The question arises, How far are these colleges 
capable of affording efficient agricultural instruction ? A little 
consideration will show that they may be admirably adapted to 
the puipose. Ih such institutions there is no need, in the case of 
• a given subject, to duplicate the means of acquiring a knowledge 
of it simply because the students intend to follow different 
avocations. Very much of the chemistry which is useful to the 
fanner is useful also to the physician and to the iron smelter. 
Hence, there is no necessity for one system of instruction in 
general chemistry for the farmer, another for the physician, and 
another for the iron smelter, and, so far as they can all study 
in common, they should do so. Then there is the science of 
physics, which finds innumerable applications in all industries, 
and there are other subjects to which the same general rule 
applies, 
